Pour-Over Brewing Method for Dark Roast Blue Mountain and Mandheling Coffee Beans: How to Brew Rich, Full-Bodied Coffee?

Why Is My Coffee Thin Despite Using Dark Roast Beans?

Some friends have asked FrontStreet Coffee, "Why does my coffee taste thin even when I use dark roast beans?" Generally, dark roast coffee beans tend to exhibit a fuller, smoother, and richer mouthfeel. When tasting dark roast coffee, the mouthfeel experience is a very important aspect.

If your dark roast coffee tastes thin when brewed, it's very likely that there are some issues with your pour-over parameters or technique. FrontStreet Coffee has compiled some common problems that many friends encounter to share with everyone.

Filter Cup Selection

When brewing medium to dark roast coffee beans, FrontStreet Coffee generally recommends using a Kono filter cup. Because the Kono filter cup's drainage ribs are only distributed in the lower half, this design helps extend the immersion extraction time, making it easier to achieve a rich mouthfeel.

In contrast, using wash-type filter cups like V60 tends to emphasize layered coffee flavors, with less prominent mouthfeel performance.

FrontStreet Coffee summarizes the relationship between these two: filter cups with faster drainage like V60 tend to have a more ordinary mouthfeel. If you're currently using this type of filter cup for dark roast coffee and the resulting mouthfeel is not ideal, then switching to immersion-extraction filter cups like the Kono Meimon filter cup or Kalita wave filter cup will make it easier to achieve a heavy, full mouthfeel.

Coffee-to-Water Ratio

Coffee concentration also has a certain impact on mouthfeel. If the concentration is too low, it may tend to be watery, while a higher concentration tastes fuller.

The general ratio for brewing dark roast coffee is controlled between 1:13-15. Ratios higher than 1:15 will most likely result in a thin mouthfeel. FrontStreet Coffee's brewing ratio is 1:15, which produces dark roast coffee with a full, smooth mouthfeel.

Of course, everyone's perception of mouthfeel is not entirely the same. If you find that coffee brewed with a 1:15 ratio still tastes thin, you can switch to 1:13 or 1:14.

Sufficient Extraction Time

Many friends experience thin coffee mouthfeel due to insufficient extraction time. Simply put, this is because the coffee grind is too coarse, causing water to flow through too quickly. Generally, a coffee extraction time of around 2 minutes is a reasonable duration. If the extraction time is less than 1 minute and 30 seconds, the coffee's mouthfeel will tend to be thin. When the time exceeds 2 minutes and 30 seconds, the coffee's mouthfeel will be fuller, but there's also a possibility of over-extraction bitterness.

Water Pouring Technique

Regarding water pouring, if you want to better achieve a rich coffee mouthfeel, you can try these two suggestions: First, try to pour in circular motions. Pouring in smaller circles creates a fuller mouthfeel than pouring in larger circles, because smaller circles largely avoid the risk of washing against the filter cup's edges.

Second, control the water level not to exceed the coffee bed. If subsequent pouring reaches the coffee bed but you haven't injected the target amount of water, don't force yourself to finish pouring all at once. You can pause first, wait for the water level to drop slightly, and then finish pouring the remaining water.

Important Notice :

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